Former two-time French Open finalist Alex Corretja just about thinks there’s zero possibilities of Rafael Nadal pulling off an Andy Murray and changing into a coach shortly after retiring from professional tennis.
10 days in the past, Novak Djokovic made a bombshell announcement when he revealed the newly retired Briton as his coach for the beginning of 2025 and the Australian Open. Beforehand, the previous three-time Main winner ended noticed his profession formally come to an finish on August 1st on the Paris Olympics.
After Murray, Nadal additionally put a curtain on his astonishing profession two weeks on the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Realizing how linked the Spaniard was to tennis – and that he principally retired solely after coming to phrases that his physique could not take it anymore – some immediately began speculating if he might do one thing comparable because the British tennis legend did.
Nonetheless, Corretja – a former Spanish world No. 2 and somebody who has a superb relationship with the previous 22-time Grand Slam champion – does not see it taking place.
“In my opinion, I see it as impossible. 99.99% impossible. Because in this life you can’t say impossible. But I would be very, very surprised. I think he’s going to need time to realize what he really wants to do. It’s a bit different than Andy. I feel like Andy, even if he’s got four kids and he’s busy at home, maybe he’s got less things to do on a daily basis,” Corretja informed Eurosport.
“But Rafa, he is living on his, you know, in Manacor, and he’s got his academy. I don’t really see him moving so much from there. I felt like Andy wanted to maybe feel the experience of still traveling, you know. Rafa, I don’t really see him as a coach or as a consultant for anyone. I might see him more like a consultant for, let’s say, Real Madrid. Something big, something that he could add to the team from time to time, can give them some speeches. I would see it for a short period of time. Three months or six months. But on a daily basis, I don’t really see it.”
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz© Six Kings Slam/Instagram – Truthful Use
What Nadal as soon as stated about the potential of changing into a coach?
After holding that particular press convention in 2023 Might to disclose his plans to retire in 2024, the 38-year-old heard many speculations being thrown out about his future. To nobody’s shock, some puzzled if there was any risk of the previous world No. 1 returning to the Tour as a tennis coach.
When requested about it, Nadal famous that he did not desire to talk an excessive amount of about his future and what could or could not occur. Nonetheless, he did not shut the door on the prospect of working with somebody in the future.
“They ask me things about the future that I cannot answer, nor say one thing or another. Because the future is often uncertain and I also don’t lose sight of the fact that I have an academy where players come and I like sports in general. I like tennis, so I can’t say that I’m not going to drink that water, that I’m not going to be a coach. I don’t see myself doing a complete calendar on the Tour, it’s practically impossible. Now, in a few weeks, being able to help someone or being able to spend some time with a player, well, why not tomorrow. Not today, but tomorrow who knows,” Nadal informed Diario AS in 2023 September.
Mats Wilander thinks Nadal could also be fascinated about working with Carlos Alcaraz
Anybody who follows tennis is aware of fairly properly that Alcaraz grew up idolizing and searching as much as the file 14-time French Open champion. And there’s a mutual respect between the 2 because the Spanish tennis icon accepted to workforce up with the 21-year-old for males’s doubles on the Paris Olympics.
After Nadal’s profession got here to an finish, former seven-time Grand Slam winner Wilander steered that the 38-year-old could also be intrigued by the prospect of working with the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon champion.
“It is very possible that Nadal will return as a coach. I can even imagine him coaching Alcaraz. Although Carlos has one of the best now, Juan Carlos Ferrero, he lacks the ability to maintain the same intensity throughout a match,” the Swedish tennis legend informed Eurosport.
Contemplating that the present world No. 3 has the most important doable respect for Nadal, it’s most likely protected to say that there isn’t any means he would move up the potential alternative to work along with his idol.
It stays to be seen if a Nadal and Alcaraz partnership occurs in the future.
